The Associated Press article SANTA MONICA, Calif.
— A new scandal has rocked the University of California system, where it has raised questions about the quality of its admission process and led to widespread scrutiny of how colleges assess applicants and whether they are treated fairly.
The Associated School of Law and the American Bar Association are investigating complaints of racial bias in admissions at the state’s flagship university.
It’s the latest development in a national saga that has been unfolding for years and raised questions over how well colleges and universities are handling their admissions processes.
UC President Janet Napolitano acknowledged in December that a number of minority students had been admitted to the university despite a lack of proof of their academic performance.
Napolitana said she hoped that by investigating the admissions process, the university would be able to better address the issue.
But the university said Thursday it was “extremely concerned” about a new report by the law firm Jones Day, which has been reviewing admissions at UCs flagship, flagship campus in Los Angeles.
Jones Day was hired by UC to review all of its admissions procedures and has said the university should have more transparent admissions processes for all applicants.
The AP reported in December on a series of allegations that some minority applicants were rejected, including at the University at Buffalo, where a former administrator was accused of sending a text message that suggested students who failed to pass an examination would be sent home.
The university said in an interview with the AP in December it was still investigating those allegations.
UC officials say they are reviewing the Jones Day report and have begun the process of reviewing their policies and procedures.
UC President Janet M. Napojski speaks during a news conference in Santa Monica, California, U.S., May 19, 2020.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque FILE – In this May 20, 2020 file photo, students stand at a barricade at the entrance to the campus of California State University, Sacramento, California.
The campus has been locked down after an alleged racial slur was allegedly made in a phone call that sparked protests across the United States.
UC Chancellor Nicholas Dirks has been under scrutiny since a report was released by the school’s law firm on Jan. 18 alleging that a white professor, who is African American, made derogatory remarks about a minority student and then suggested the student’s grades were poor because he was white.
Dirks was criticized for his handling of the investigation and for taking a relatively hands-off approach to the situation.
The UC system said it was working to address the allegations and had reached out to the law firms.
In a statement, UC spokesman Matt Stiles said: “The University of UC Santa Barbara and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Equity and Diversity have been made aware of the allegations.
While the UC Board has been made privy to the information and investigation, it is not appropriate to comment further.”
The law firm’s report found that “a number of students and administrators have reported that their names were posted online to appear on a list of students to whom they were referred for admission.”
The law firm said some students were told their names could not be used for other applications and that “many others have not received their applications due to concerns about the racial composition of the admissions staff and the overall quality of the selection process.”
UC Chancellor Nicholas A. Dirgs speaks at a news press conference in San Francisco, California in this June 30, 2020, file photo.
REUTERS /Ben Margot/Files FILE – This March 11, 2020 photo provided by the California Department of Education shows a photo of President Nicholas Dirgs, center, during a press conference at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., U.A.E. California Department Of Education/Handout via Reuters
